Places 44, 46, 48 and 50 – out of 50. What looks like a German record in the Eurovision Song Contest is actually the performance of Hessian rest areas in the ADAC test. Parking spaces on motorways throughout Germany were compared. As part of the test, ADAC examined 50 unmanaged rest areas, i.e. without a restaurant or petrol station, on 15 of Germany’s longest motorways.
In last place: the rest area “Am Stadtwald” on Autobahn 3 in the direction of Würzburg. “You can smell it too,” says the craftsman, who is relaxing in a recreation area near Neu-Isenburg after meeting a client. You can even judge that it stinks. The toilet block in the rest area is closed. According to ADAC, the situation was no different from the survey conducted four years ago. In the meantime, mobile toilets were located in the Am Stadtwald parking lot. But now they have disappeared again. At least the skylight in the toilet is open. So there is hope that the smell inside will not be so bad.
You feel which way the wind is blowing.
Truck driver Lyubo Popov is also worried about the smell. He takes a break at the rest area at least twice a week because it is on his route. “I parked in the back and even there it smelled,” he says. In his opinion, this is the worst establishment in the area. In addition to the closed toilets, ADAC criticizes the lack of disabled parking spaces. And that there is no noise barrier isolating the rest area from the highway.
Despite its shortcomings, there is a lot of activity in the recreation area in Neu-Isenburg.No claws
“I would really like to go to the toilet,” says a man from Baden-Württemberg in a polo shirt on a business trip, shrugging his shoulders. So all that was left was the fence. This is his first time here. He was surprised that a rest area so close to Germany’s largest airport was in such a state. But the man also says: “If you come from outside, this is what you expect Frankfurt to look like.”
Lots of activity in recreation areas of Hesse
ADAC explains why many motorway service areas in the Rhine-Main area in particular are in poor condition as follows: “A particularly large volume of transit traffic passes through Hesse, meaning that service areas tend to be more heavily traveled. This increases wear and contamination. If you don’t respond appropriately with increased cleaning intervals and infrastructure measures, facilities will become even dirtier.”
The federal company Autobahn GmbH is responsible for the maintenance of unmanaged rest areas. But all responsibility cannot be placed on her alone. ADAC also sees shared responsibility among users. This is also evident in Am Stadtwald. There are real “dirty corners” behind the toilet block and on the fence. A truck tire and guide pole lie among leftover food, cans and napkins.
Garbage and half-eaten watermelons lie in front of the recreation area at the Am Stadtwald recreation area.No claws
A large sign encourages drivers to throw leftover food, especially sausage and meat, into trash cans. African swine fever can be spread through leftover meat. The lively activity at the stops is evidenced by the numerous stickers with the emblems of football clubs on signs, lamps and toilet blocks, which cover everything from Bergamo to Hamburg, including when it comes to football fans.
But Autobahn GmbH must also fulfill its obligations more carefully in Hesse and other federal states, ADAC demands: “More financial resources must be allocated for this in the future.”
Dirt accumulates on the green area fence: a broken guide post, a beer bottle, feces and numerous napkins.No claws
Autobahn GmbH is aware of the shortcomings and promises: “Many outdated rest areas require rapid and comprehensive modernization. Autobahn GmbH is working hard on improvements.” Currently, bins are emptied three times a week, including collection of waste around the bin. Garbage in green areas is collected twice a week. In case of unexpected contamination, additional operations will be carried out.
The toilet block will be demolished
Autobahn GmbH would now like to clean the area even more frequently in the near future. However, the toilet building will remain closed due to faults and will be demolished next year. The initial plan is to install a litter box as a replacement, the spokesperson said.
However, few people seem to have high hopes for rest stops. “A parking space is just a parking space,” says Markus, a young man driving from Cologne towards the Alps. “I’ve seen much worse,” adds the motorcyclist. He especially feels sorry for families with children and truck drivers, who he says have to take breaks. “There aren’t enough nice, shady places to sit. The rest areas on German motorways are a disaster.” The ADAC test also shows this. Almost two-thirds of the remaining areas performed worse this time than in 2022.
Jörg is currently on holiday with his two young sons. “In general, we always try to go to serviced recreation areas,” says the father of the family. They are usually in better and cleaner condition. Now he stopped in the parking lot because of his children. “They couldn’t take it anymore. The two of them needed a break now. But I wouldn’t come here again,” he says. Together with his sons, he goes for a walk through the unkempt and withered green area. He’ll probably pull out again at the next rest stop to use the restroom and take a slightly longer break.